Murinae (Old World or "true" rats and mice)
About 650 species in about 135 extant genera: Abditomys, Abeomelomys, Aethomys, Anisomys, Anonymomys, Apodemus, Apomys, Archboldomys, Arvicanthis, Bandicota, Batomys, Berylmys, Bullimus, Bunomys, Carpomys, Chiromyscus, Chiropodomys, Chiruromys, Chrotomys, Coccymys, Colomys, Conilurus, Crateromys, Crossomys, Cremnomys, Crunomys, Dacnomys, Dasymys, Dephomys, Desmomys, Diomys, Diplothrix, Echiothrix, Eropeplus, Golunda, Gracilimus, Grammomys, Hadromys, Haeromys, Halmaheramys, Hapalomys, Heimyscus, Hybomys, Hydromys, Hylomyscus, Hyomys, Hyorhinomys, Kadarsanomys, Komodomys, Lamottemys, Leggadina, Lemniscomys, Lemnomys, Lenothrix, Leopoldamys, Leporillus, Leptomys, Limnomys, Lorentzimys, Macruromys, Madromys, Malacomys, Mallomys, Mammelomys, Margaretamys, Mastacomys, Mastomys, Maxomys, Melasmothrix, Melomys, Mesembriomys, Micaelamys, Microhydromys, Micromys, Millardia, Mirzamys, Muriculus, Musseromys, Mus, Mylomys, Myomyscus, Myotomys, Nesokia, Nesoromys, Nilopegamys, Niviventer, Notomys, Oenomys, Otomys, Palawanomys, Papagomys, Parahydromys, Paraleptomys, Paramelomys, Parotomys, Paucidentomys, Paruromys, Paulamys, Pelomys, Phloeomys, Pithecheir, Pithecheirops, Pogonomelomys, Pogonomys, Praomys, Protochromys, Pseudohydromys, Pseudomys, Rattus, Rhabdomys, Rhynchomys, Saxatilomys, Solomys, Sommeromys, Soricomys, Srilankamys, Stenocephalemys, Stochomys, Sundamys, Taeromys, Tarsomys, Tateomys, Thallomys, Thamnomys, Tokudaia, Tonkinomys, Tryphomys, Uromys, Vandeleuria, Vernaya, Waiomys, Xenuromys, Xeromys, Zelotomys, Zyzomys
There are 62 species represented in the Zoochat galleries, from 30 genera: Aethomys, Apodemus, Arvicanthis, Chiropodomys, Crateromys, Grammomys, Hydromys, Lemniscomys, Leporillus, Malacomys, Mastomys, Melomys, Mesembriomys, Micaelamys, Micromys, Mus, Myotomys, Niviventer, Notomys, Otomys, Parotomys, Phloeomys, Pseudomys, Rattus, Rhabdomys, Thallomys, Tokudaia, Vandeleuria, Xeromys, Zyzomys
A monstrously large subfamily - larger than almost any Order of mammals, let alone other families or subfamilies - which is fraught with taxonomic issues. There is no Tribe arrangement for the entire subfamily, although this has at least been attempted for geographical areas (e.g. for Australasian murines). There are various unsatisfactory "groupings" or "divisions" of genera as a way to try and organise them collectively.
To get an idea of the complexity of the subfamily, a good place to start is the lengthy explanation in Wilson & Reeder's Mammal Species of the World: Mammal Species of the World - Browse: Murinae
The subfamily was split into 29 multi-generic divisions in the above, and this is followed on the Wikipedia page for Murinae where the lay-out is easy to appreciate at a glance (arranged geographically, with a number of recent generic additions and some reworking as the original set of divisions was made in 2005). I will follow these divisions here as that seems as good a way as any to organise the lists.
Murinae - Wikipedia
I will mention some recently-extinct genera in the following accounts, and will later also include recently-extinct species from extant genera.
Note that the geographic regions into which the groups are split are either where each group originated or where they are most diverse - it is not intended to signify that genera from divisions listed for a given geographic region are not also found in other regions. Obviously a number of the groups may be found over wider geographical areas (especially in divisions containing the larger genera such as Mus or Rattus).
Africa:
Aethomys division - two genera (Aethomys, Micaelamys)
Arvicanthis division - six genera (Arvicanthis, Desmomys, Lemniscomys, Mylomys, Pelomys, Rhabdomys)
Colomys division - three genera (Colomys, Nilopegamys, Zelotomys)
Dasymys division - one genus (Dasymys)
Hybomys division - three genera (Dephomys, Hybomys, Stochomys)
Malacomys division - one genus (Malacomys)
Oenomys division - five genera (Grammomys, Lamottemys, Oenomys, Thallomys, Thamnomys)
Otomys division - three genera (Myotomys, Otomys, Parotomys)
Stenocephalemys division - six genera (Heimyscus, Hylomyscus, Mastomys, Myomyscus, Praomys, Stenocephalemys)
Eurasia:
Apodemus division - two genera (Apodemus, Tokudaia)
Micromys division - six genera (Chiropodomys, Haeromys, Hapalomys, Micromys, Vandeleuria, Vernaya)
Mus division - two genera (Muriculus, Mus)
South and Southeast Asia:
Dacnomys division - eight genera (Anonymomys, Chiromyscus, Dacnomys, Leopoldamys, Niviventer, Saxatilomys, Srilankamys, Tonkinomys)
Golunda division - one genus (Golunda)
Hadromys division - one genus (Hadromys)
Maxomys division - one genus (Maxomys)
Millardia division - four genera (Cremnomys, Diomys, Madromys, Millardia)
Pithecheir division - six genera (Eropeplus, Lemnomys, Lenothrix, Margaretamys, Pithecheir, Pithecheirops)
Rattus division - twenty-one genera (Abditomys, Bandicota, Berylmys, Bullimus, Bunomys, Diplothrix, Halmaheramys, Kadarsanomys, Komodomys, Limnomys, Nesokia, Nesoromys, Palawanomys, Papagomys, Paruromys, Paulamys, Rattus, Sundamys, Taeromys, Tarsomys, Tryphomys)
Philippines:
Chrotomys division - five genera (Apomys, Archboldomys, Chrotomys, Rhynchomys, Soricomys)
Phloeomys division - five genera (Batomys, Carpomys, Crateromys, Musseromys, Phloeomys)
Sulawesi:
Crunomys division - two genera (Crunomys, Sommeromys)
Echiothrix division - one genus (Echiothrix)
Hyorhinomys - one genus (Hyorhinomys)
Melasmothrix division - two genera (Melasmothrix, Tateomys)
Paucidentomys - one genus (Paucidentomys)
Waiomys division - two genera (Gracilimus, Waiomys)
New Guinea:
Hydromys division - five genera (Crossomys, Hydromys, Microhydromys, Parahydromys, Paraleptomys)
Lorentzimys division - one genus (Lorentzimys)
Pogonomys division - eleven genera (Abeomelomys, Anisomys, Chiruromys, Coccymys, Hyomys, Macruromys, Mallomys, Mammelomys, Pogonomelomys, Pogonomys, Xenuromys)
Uromys division - five genera (Melomys, Paramelomys, Protochromys, Solomys, Uromys)
Xeromys division - four genera (Leptomys, Mirzamys, Pseudohydromys, Xeromys)
Australia:
Pseudomys division - eight genera (Conilurus, Leggadina, Leporillus, Mastacomys, Mesembriomys, Notomys, Pseudomys, Zyzomys)
I will cover all the genera in the order they appear above (i.e. by geographical region, and then alphabetically by division).
About 650 species in about 135 extant genera: Abditomys, Abeomelomys, Aethomys, Anisomys, Anonymomys, Apodemus, Apomys, Archboldomys, Arvicanthis, Bandicota, Batomys, Berylmys, Bullimus, Bunomys, Carpomys, Chiromyscus, Chiropodomys, Chiruromys, Chrotomys, Coccymys, Colomys, Conilurus, Crateromys, Crossomys, Cremnomys, Crunomys, Dacnomys, Dasymys, Dephomys, Desmomys, Diomys, Diplothrix, Echiothrix, Eropeplus, Golunda, Gracilimus, Grammomys, Hadromys, Haeromys, Halmaheramys, Hapalomys, Heimyscus, Hybomys, Hydromys, Hylomyscus, Hyomys, Hyorhinomys, Kadarsanomys, Komodomys, Lamottemys, Leggadina, Lemniscomys, Lemnomys, Lenothrix, Leopoldamys, Leporillus, Leptomys, Limnomys, Lorentzimys, Macruromys, Madromys, Malacomys, Mallomys, Mammelomys, Margaretamys, Mastacomys, Mastomys, Maxomys, Melasmothrix, Melomys, Mesembriomys, Micaelamys, Microhydromys, Micromys, Millardia, Mirzamys, Muriculus, Musseromys, Mus, Mylomys, Myomyscus, Myotomys, Nesokia, Nesoromys, Nilopegamys, Niviventer, Notomys, Oenomys, Otomys, Palawanomys, Papagomys, Parahydromys, Paraleptomys, Paramelomys, Parotomys, Paucidentomys, Paruromys, Paulamys, Pelomys, Phloeomys, Pithecheir, Pithecheirops, Pogonomelomys, Pogonomys, Praomys, Protochromys, Pseudohydromys, Pseudomys, Rattus, Rhabdomys, Rhynchomys, Saxatilomys, Solomys, Sommeromys, Soricomys, Srilankamys, Stenocephalemys, Stochomys, Sundamys, Taeromys, Tarsomys, Tateomys, Thallomys, Thamnomys, Tokudaia, Tonkinomys, Tryphomys, Uromys, Vandeleuria, Vernaya, Waiomys, Xenuromys, Xeromys, Zelotomys, Zyzomys
There are 62 species represented in the Zoochat galleries, from 30 genera: Aethomys, Apodemus, Arvicanthis, Chiropodomys, Crateromys, Grammomys, Hydromys, Lemniscomys, Leporillus, Malacomys, Mastomys, Melomys, Mesembriomys, Micaelamys, Micromys, Mus, Myotomys, Niviventer, Notomys, Otomys, Parotomys, Phloeomys, Pseudomys, Rattus, Rhabdomys, Thallomys, Tokudaia, Vandeleuria, Xeromys, Zyzomys
A monstrously large subfamily - larger than almost any Order of mammals, let alone other families or subfamilies - which is fraught with taxonomic issues. There is no Tribe arrangement for the entire subfamily, although this has at least been attempted for geographical areas (e.g. for Australasian murines). There are various unsatisfactory "groupings" or "divisions" of genera as a way to try and organise them collectively.
To get an idea of the complexity of the subfamily, a good place to start is the lengthy explanation in Wilson & Reeder's Mammal Species of the World: Mammal Species of the World - Browse: Murinae
The subfamily was split into 29 multi-generic divisions in the above, and this is followed on the Wikipedia page for Murinae where the lay-out is easy to appreciate at a glance (arranged geographically, with a number of recent generic additions and some reworking as the original set of divisions was made in 2005). I will follow these divisions here as that seems as good a way as any to organise the lists.
Murinae - Wikipedia
I will mention some recently-extinct genera in the following accounts, and will later also include recently-extinct species from extant genera.
Note that the geographic regions into which the groups are split are either where each group originated or where they are most diverse - it is not intended to signify that genera from divisions listed for a given geographic region are not also found in other regions. Obviously a number of the groups may be found over wider geographical areas (especially in divisions containing the larger genera such as Mus or Rattus).
Africa:
Aethomys division - two genera (Aethomys, Micaelamys)
Arvicanthis division - six genera (Arvicanthis, Desmomys, Lemniscomys, Mylomys, Pelomys, Rhabdomys)
Colomys division - three genera (Colomys, Nilopegamys, Zelotomys)
Dasymys division - one genus (Dasymys)
Hybomys division - three genera (Dephomys, Hybomys, Stochomys)
Malacomys division - one genus (Malacomys)
Oenomys division - five genera (Grammomys, Lamottemys, Oenomys, Thallomys, Thamnomys)
Otomys division - three genera (Myotomys, Otomys, Parotomys)
Stenocephalemys division - six genera (Heimyscus, Hylomyscus, Mastomys, Myomyscus, Praomys, Stenocephalemys)
Eurasia:
Apodemus division - two genera (Apodemus, Tokudaia)
Micromys division - six genera (Chiropodomys, Haeromys, Hapalomys, Micromys, Vandeleuria, Vernaya)
Mus division - two genera (Muriculus, Mus)
South and Southeast Asia:
Dacnomys division - eight genera (Anonymomys, Chiromyscus, Dacnomys, Leopoldamys, Niviventer, Saxatilomys, Srilankamys, Tonkinomys)
Golunda division - one genus (Golunda)
Hadromys division - one genus (Hadromys)
Maxomys division - one genus (Maxomys)
Millardia division - four genera (Cremnomys, Diomys, Madromys, Millardia)
Pithecheir division - six genera (Eropeplus, Lemnomys, Lenothrix, Margaretamys, Pithecheir, Pithecheirops)
Rattus division - twenty-one genera (Abditomys, Bandicota, Berylmys, Bullimus, Bunomys, Diplothrix, Halmaheramys, Kadarsanomys, Komodomys, Limnomys, Nesokia, Nesoromys, Palawanomys, Papagomys, Paruromys, Paulamys, Rattus, Sundamys, Taeromys, Tarsomys, Tryphomys)
Philippines:
Chrotomys division - five genera (Apomys, Archboldomys, Chrotomys, Rhynchomys, Soricomys)
Phloeomys division - five genera (Batomys, Carpomys, Crateromys, Musseromys, Phloeomys)
Sulawesi:
Crunomys division - two genera (Crunomys, Sommeromys)
Echiothrix division - one genus (Echiothrix)
Hyorhinomys - one genus (Hyorhinomys)
Melasmothrix division - two genera (Melasmothrix, Tateomys)
Paucidentomys - one genus (Paucidentomys)
Waiomys division - two genera (Gracilimus, Waiomys)
New Guinea:
Hydromys division - five genera (Crossomys, Hydromys, Microhydromys, Parahydromys, Paraleptomys)
Lorentzimys division - one genus (Lorentzimys)
Pogonomys division - eleven genera (Abeomelomys, Anisomys, Chiruromys, Coccymys, Hyomys, Macruromys, Mallomys, Mammelomys, Pogonomelomys, Pogonomys, Xenuromys)
Uromys division - five genera (Melomys, Paramelomys, Protochromys, Solomys, Uromys)
Xeromys division - four genera (Leptomys, Mirzamys, Pseudohydromys, Xeromys)
Australia:
Pseudomys division - eight genera (Conilurus, Leggadina, Leporillus, Mastacomys, Mesembriomys, Notomys, Pseudomys, Zyzomys)
I will cover all the genera in the order they appear above (i.e. by geographical region, and then alphabetically by division).
Last edited:
